BASIC COMPUTER

TROUBLESHOOTING
 Troubleshooting
• Is a form of problem solving, often
applied to repair failed products or
processes on a machine or a system.
• It is needed to identify the
symptoms.
• It requires confirmation that the
solution restores the product or
process to its working state.
 General Tips To Keep In Mind
• Write down your steps.
• Take notes about error messages.
• Always check the cables.
• Restart the computer.
 • Solution 1: If your computer does not
start, begin by checking the power
cord to confirm that it is plugged
Problem: securely into the back of the
Power computer case and the power outlet.
Button will
not Start the • Solution 2: If it is plugged into an
Computer outlet, make sure it is a working
outlet. To check your outlet, you can
plug in another electrical device,
such as a lamp.
 • Solution 3: If the computer is plugged in to
a surge protector, verify that it is turned on.
You may have to reset the surge protector
by turning it off and then back on. You can
Problem: also plug a lamp or other device into the
Power surge protector to verify that it's working
Button will correctly.
not Start the • Solution 4: If you are using a laptop,
Computer the battery may not be charged. Plug the AC
adapter into the wall, then try to turn on the
laptop. If it still doesn't start up, you may
need to wait a few minutes and try again.
 • Solution 1: Close and reopen the
application.
• Solution 2: Update the
Problem: An application. To do this, click
Application is the Help menu and look for an
Running Slow option to check for Updates. If
you don't find this option,
another idea is to run an online
search for application updates.
 • Solution 1: Force quit the application. On a
PC, you can press (and
hold) Ctrl+Alt+Delete (the Control, Alt, and
Delete keys) on your keyboard to open
the Task Manager. On a Mac, press and
Problem: An hold Command+Option+Esc. You can then
Application is select the unresponsive application and
Frozen click End task (or Force Quit on a Mac) to
close it.
• Solution 2: Restart the computer. If you are
unable to force quit an
application, restarting your computer will
close all open apps.
 • Solution 1: Run a virus scanner.
You may have malware running in
the background that is slowing
Problem: All things down.
Programs on • Solution 2: Your computer may be
the Computer running out of hard drive space.
Run Slowly
Try deleting any files or programs
you don't need.
• Solution 3: If you're using a PC, you
can run Disk Defragmenter.
 • Solution 1 (Windows only): Restart Windows
Explorer. To do this, press and
hold Ctrl+Alt+Delete on your keyboard to
open the Task Manager. Next, locate and
select Windows Explorer from
Problem: The the Processes tab and click Restart. You may
Computer is need to click More Details at the bottom of
Frozen the window to see the Processes tab.
• Solution 2 (Mac only): Restart Finder. To do
this, press and hold Command+Option+Esc on
your keyboard to open the Force Quit
Applications dialog box. Next, locate and
select Finder, then click Relaunch.
 • Solution 3: Press and hold the Power button.
The Power button is usually located on the
front or side of the computer, typically
indicated by the power symbol. Press and
hold the Power button for 5 to 10 seconds to
Problem: The force the computer to shut down.
Computer is • Solution 4: If the computer still won't shut
Frozen down, you can unplug the power cable from
the electrical outlet. If you're using a laptop,
you may be able to remove the battery to
force the computer to turn off. Note: This
solution should be your last resort after
trying the other suggestions above.
 •Solution 1: If you're using
a wired mouse or keyboard,
Problem: The make sure it's correctly
Mouse or plugged into the computer.
Keyboard has
Stopped •Solution 2: If you're using
Working a wireless mouse or keyboard,
make sure it's turned on and
that its batteries are charged.
 • Solution 1: Check the volume level.
Click the audio button in the top-right
or bottom-right corner of the screen to
make sure the sound is turned on and
Problem: The that the volume is up.
Sound isn’t
• Solution 2: Check the audio player
Working
controls. Many audio and video
players will have their own separate
audio controls. Make sure the sound is
turned on and that the volume is
turned up in the player.
 • Solution 3: Check the cables. Make
sure external speakers are plugged
in, turned on, and connected to the
correct audio port or a USB port. If
Problem: The
your computer has color-
Sound isn’t
coded ports, the audio output port
Working
will usually be green.
• Solution 4: Connect headphones to
the computer to find out if you can
hear sound through the headphones.
 • Solution 1: The computer may be
in Sleep mode. Click the mouse or press
any key on the keyboard to wake it.
• Solution 2: Make sure the monitor
Problem: The is plugged in and turned on.
Screen is • Solution 3: Make sure the computer
Blank is plugged in and turned on.
• Solution 4: If you're using a desktop, make
sure the monitor cable is properly
connected to the computer tower and the
monitor.
•https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trouble
shooting
•https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/compute
rbasics/basic-troubleshooting-techniq
ues/1/